In one type of automatic pinspotting bowling machine one component of the ball exit system which leads a bowling ball to the ball return track and the ball lift belt is the rear filler pad assembly consisting of left and right side attaching members and a center portion joined to the side attaching members. Passing upwardly behind the rear filler pad assembly are two shafts. At the upper end of each shaft is a ball kicker which moves the bowling ball to the ball return track. Tensioning means press the ball kicker shafts against the rear filler pad assembly. The rear filler pad assembly has means for attaching two grommet-like bumpers each of which contacts one of the ball kicker shafts and prevents the shaft from coming into direct contact with the rear filler pad assembly. Because the rear filler pad assembly must be positioned exactly at the center of the ball return track and has to be affixed to the sides of two adjacent pinspotting machines which are not always the same distance from the center of the ball return track the bumper holes in the filler plate are not always in registration with the ball kicker shafts. As a result the bumpers do not always contact the shafts and the shafts ride against the filler plate thereby abrading, eroding and cracking the filler plate.